Kolkata, Aug. 18: Amid mounting reports of alleged atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrant workers in various parts of the country, particularly those governed by the BJP, the Bengal government on Monday announced a new, politically charged rehabilitation package. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled the scheme, named “Sramashree” promising assured employment and comprehensive financial assistance for workers compelled to return to Bengal due to harassment and “linguistic persecution.” The Chief Minister directly accused “double engine” (BJP-ruled) states of criminalizing Bengali-speaking labourers, forcing her government to intervene to protect its own people.
The “Sramashree” initiative is designed to support workers registered on the state government’s migrant workers’ portal who are forced back to Bengal. Mamata Banerjee framed the welfare measure as a humanitarian and political necessity, stating, “The Bengali workers who are returning in a helpless situation and because of linguistic persecution and harassment… are being criminalised. We have taken a new initiative for their rehabilitation and named it “Sramashree”. She drew a parallel to the state’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her government facilitated the return of numerous workers.
Under the scheme, each returning worker will receive a one-time grant of ₹5,000, which includes travel assistance, along with a monthly rehabilitation allowance of ₹5,000 for one year or until a permanent job is arranged. Beneficiaries will also be guaranteed access to essential services, including Khadya Sathi ration cards, Swasthya Sathi health insurance, and assured school admission for their children to ensure education continues without interruption. The Chief Minister announced that the Chief Secretary would personally monitor the process, and instructed the administration to set up community kitchen centers for those without immediate housing.
Speaking from Nabanna, the Chief Minister reiterated that the central objective is to help migrant workers “return and become economically independent” in Bengal, noting that around 10,000 such workers have already returned in recent months. She then sharpened her attack, asserting that Bengali labourers were facing repeated persecution in BJP-ruled states.
“In different states where the double engine government rules, Bengali-speaking people are being attacked. If anyone is spotted speaking in Bengali, he is being identified as a criminal, and for this offense sometimes such people are pushed back to Bangladesh, arrested, or harassed at police stations.” She claimed that most of the state’s 22 lakh registered migrant workers and their families outside Bengal have faced harassment for speaking their mother tongue in these states. These comments reflect a broader political narrative from the Trinamool Congress, which has repeatedly accused the BJP of fanning nativist sentiments and falsely branding Bengali labourers as “outsiders” or “Bangladeshi” in states like Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, and Assam. Mamata Banerjee contrasted this with the situation in Bengal, saying, “We have 1.5 crore workers from other states working here in Bengal. But we keep them with respect in our state, but our people are being tortured and even killed.”
The Chief Minister assured that new employment opportunities would be created, specifically mentioning the use of the state’s existing Utkarsha Bangla program for skill-development training. She added that returning workers would be provided with job cards under the Karmashree scheme, where the State has already created over 91 crore man-days, demonstrating its commitment to job creation. Officials confirmed that the Labour Welfare Department would act as the nodal unit, issuing identity cards to registered workers to access the “Sramashree” benefits. The opposition, however, was quick to dismiss the scheme as a political stunt. Bengal BJP leader Sajal Ghosh alleged it would be “another scam,” while former Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called it “aimless,” claiming the real motive was to lure the 22 lakh registered labourers back “only to cast their votes in favour of the Trinamool Congress.”